How to Make the Most of your Costco Trip

Feb 18th, 2016

Have you noticed that Greenwood and Indy’s Southeast side are booming? We’re expecting continued growth this year with more retail locations and plans for a new Costco. Pending a public hearing for rezoning (now set for March 26, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal), this store would be the first one to open on the Southside. As Costco fans ourselves, we’re eager to see what will happen!

Of course, there’s still a lot to do before building can get underway in Greenwood. So in the meantime, we’ve got some great shopping tips for you to review. Whether you’re on Indy’s Northside or Southside, shopping in bulk can be tricky if you don’t know about Costco’s best deals. If you’re ready to make the most of your shopping trip, read on—Indy Soft Water has done the homework for you. When shopping at Costco, be sure to put these things on your list for some big savings!

Costco’s Best Deals

1. Frozen Fruits and Veggies

If you’ve got the space for pounds of frozen goods, this will probably be your favorite section. Costco has some awesome options for freezer fans and their prices are a lot lower than smaller organic food markets. Stock up on frozen fruits for smoothies and your favorite frozen veggies for easy dinner side dishes. When done right, shopping the freezer aisle is both super-healthy and super-affordable.

2. Movie Tickets and Gift Cards

Costco memberships are for more than just food. You can even get discounts on gift cards and movie tickets. Knowing this shopping secret is a big win for bargain shoppers. You can find gift cards for loads of popular retail spots and restaurants at Costco and they’re usually around 20 percent cheaper than their face value. (Bring back the date-night!)

3. Laundry and Dish Detergent

The store-brand really is king at Costco. Kirkland Signature products can usually stand up to the name-brands with no problem at all. That means more savings for shoppers! Consumer Reports did a test on the Kirkland Signature Free & Clear laundry detergent and found it on-par with other detergents than cost double and triple the Costco price tag. Same goes for the Kirkland Dishwasher Pacs. These are great buys, but be careful about stocking up. Detergent tends to break down after about 6 months, so if you’re not sure you can use all that soap, you might want to go halfsies with a friend.

4. Organic Foods

Mother of three and registered dietitian Katie Morford has a great article on her 15 favorite healthy foods from Costco. Included in the list are lots of organics, and she even says that Costco is a major contender for being the country’s top organic food seller! Organic nuts and dried fruits are a big hit with affordable prices (you can freeze the nuts to make them last longer), and Costco’s selection of wild salmon and organic beef and chicken is equally impressive. Morford also recommends Costco’s Kirkland-brand organic olive oil and organic maple syrup for good quality items at reasonable prices.

5. Big-Ticket Items

Finally, some home appliances and other major home purchases like mattresses, kitchen mixers, or blenders tend to have great deals at Costco. We’ve even been a featured vendor at Costco for many years—which helps more Indy-area residents get our quality water systems in their homes at a great deal. Aggressive prices on big-ticket items or Indy Soft Water sponsored products helps give Costco shoppers awesome perks with their membership. List prices tend to be much lower on these types of home products, so before you make that next big home purchase, do a quick comparison with the superstore for rebates or other special offers.

Two Costco stores have been successfully operating on Indy’s Northside for years, so we’re excited to hear what plans will take place for our clients on the Southside! Greenwood residents seem to be ready for new shopping opportunities in their part of town, too. Christian Maslowski, president of the Greater Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, told the Indy Star that having more consumer choices would be an improvement for the area. What do you think? Please leave your comments below. We’d love to hear from you!